New Low Radiation/High Definition CT at The Medical Center

High Definition CT Imaging Improves Patient Care by Increasing Image Clarity and Reducing Patient Radiation by 50 Percent or more

(COLUMBUS, GA) – The Medical Center, part of the Columbus Regional Healthcare System, has installeda low radiation, high definition CT scan imaging system from GE Healthcare, the first in both Georgia and East Alabama. The Discovery CT750 HD delivers the highest quality CT images while significantly reducing patient radiation exposure.

This is accomplished through new hardware and software featuring a revolutionary new GemstoneTM detector. The GE Gemstone detector is a new scintillator (asubstance that emits light when hit by x-rays) that is 100 times faster than any other CT scanner detector and generates higher resolution images than previous systems. This new Gemstone detector in the Discovery CT750 HD enables physicians at The Medical Center to see internal structures in the human body as small as a grain of sand in a single rotation.

According to Dr. Glen Vahjen, Medical Director of Imaging Services at The Medical Center, “Our new GE 750HD CT scanner produces the highest quality images we have seen, while decreasing radiation to the patient by 50 percent or more compared to other CT scanner systems.”

The decreased radiation exposure will benefit all patients, but particularly cancer patients, pediatric patients and the few pregnant patients who require CT scans for diagnosis. The scanner is also beneficial for patients whose conditions require one or more follow-up scans.

The new Discovery CT750 HD will enhance many procedures and help diagnose stroke, early cancers, subtle fractures, and early signs of infection, among many others.

“This new CT scanner is going to help us enhance patient care. The ability of this machine to produce the best CT images we have seen while lowering radiation dose to the patient is a significant step forward for patients in our community and in the medical imaging community as a whole,“ said Dr. Vahjen. “We are fortunate to be the first site in both Georgia and East Alabama to obtain this technology.”

Approximately 2,300 patients undergo CT scans each month at The Medical Center.

As the region's leading provider of healthcare, Columbus Regional Health has touched the lives of most of the children and adults in this region through its comprehensive network of services. Located in the West Georgia city of Columbus, Columbus Regional was established in 1986 as a not-for-profit health services organization, but its roots can be traced back to 1836 when the local hospital was a small wooden building on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.